Increase air quality by lowering standards for allowable fine and course particles everywhere in the U.S.

On Dec. 14, 2012, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) took important steps to protect the health of Americans from fine particle pollution by strengthening the annual health National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) for fine particles to 12.0 micrograms per cubic meter (μg/m3) and retaining the 24-hour fine particle standard of 35 μg/m3. The agency also retained the existing standards for coarse particle pollution (PM10). An extensive body of scientific evidence shows that long- and short-term exposures to fine particle pollution, also known as fine particulate matter (PM2.5), can cause premature death and harmful effects on the cardiovascular system, including increased hospital admissions and emergency department visits for heart attacks and strokes.